Monza is the simplest track on the calendar to set a car up for. Four long straights, three chicanes, four real corners.
So you take the wing off. This setup runs 1 at the front and 3 at the rear, and everything else is there to make a car with no downforce stop and ride the kerbs. It is a time trial setup, saved with 10 kg of fuel.
F1 2019 Monza setup
| Setting | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | 1 | 3 |
| Camber | -2.50 | -1.00 |
| Toe | 0.07 | 0.20 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 |
| Anti-roll bar | 6 | 8 |
| Ride height | 2 | 3 |
| Tyre pressure | 21.8 psi | 20.3 psi |
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel load | 10 kg |
| Differential on throttle | 65% |
| Differential off throttle | 100% |
| Brake pressure | 85% |
| Front brake bias | 56% |
In F1 2019 the wings, suspension, anti-roll bars and ride height all use a scale from 1 to 11.
This setup was collected for the site in 2022 from a fast time trial lap, like the rest of my F1 2019 setups. Use it as a base and adjust it with the table further down.
Why this setup works at Monza
The lap is 5.793 km with 11 corners. Most of it is flat out. The lap time comes from top speed, and from how late you can brake for the chicanes without missing them.
The wings. 1 and 3. The front is at the minimum of the scale. No other setup in my list has this little wing. The next lowest is Baku with 2 and 5. The rear at 3 and not at 1 is for the two Lesmo corners, Ascari and the Parabolica. Those four are the only places where you ask the car for grip at speed.
The differential. 65% on throttle. The exits of the chicanes are slow and you go straight afterwards, so a bit of lock helps both rear tyres push. Off throttle it is 100%, fully locked. Monza is the only track in my list where I have it there. A locked differential makes the two rear wheels turn together when you are off the throttle, and that holds the rear straight when you brake from top speed with almost no rear wing. The cost is a bit of understeer on the way into the chicanes. You fix that with the kerbs.
The brakes. 85% pressure and 56% front bias. The bias is as far forward as I go in this game. The rear of the car is light under braking, so you give the work to the front.
The geometry and tyres. Camber -2.50 and -1.00, the least angle the menu allows. Toe 0.07 and 0.20, with the rear at the minimum. All of it is for less drag. Pressures are 21.8 and 20.3 psi, on the low side of my list. A softer tyre gives you more traction out of the chicanes.
Soft springs for the kerbs
Springs are 1 at the front and 1 at the rear. That is the softest the menu has. I use the same pair in Spain and Canada.
At Monza the reason is the chicanes. The fast line through the Rettifilo, the Roggia and Ascari goes over the kerbs. A stiff car jumps on them and lands sideways. A soft car takes them and keeps its tyres on the ground.
The anti-roll bars are 6 and 8. That is where the car gets its response back. Soft springs with stiffer bars means it takes a bump well and still changes direction quickly.
Ride height is 2 and 3. Low, for less drag and a lower centre of gravity. It works because the springs absorb the kerbs. If you raise the springs, raise the ride height too.
What to change
One change at a time, three laps, then decide.
| Problem | Change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The rear slides in the Parabolica | Rear wing 3 to 4 | More rear downforce in the long corner |
| Understeer in the Lesmo corners | Front wing 1 to 2 | More front load at speed |
| The car will not turn into the chicanes | Off throttle differential 100% to 85% | A more open differential lets the car rotate off the throttle |
| Wheelspin out of the first chicane | On throttle differential 65% to 55% | A more open differential is gentler on the inside rear tyre |
| Front tyres lock into the Rettifilo | Brake pressure 85% to 82% | Less peak pressure, easier to hold at the limit |
| The rear moves under braking | Front brake bias 56% to 57% | More of the braking goes to the front |
| The car hits the ground on the kerbs | Ride height 2 and 3 to 3 and 4 | More room under the floor |
For a race
A car with wings 1 and 3 is fast alone. With fuel and worn tyres it slides in the Parabolica, and that is the corner before the longest straight. Before a 25% or 50% race I would change this:
- Rear wing 3 to 4. A better exit from the Parabolica is worth more than the top speed you lose.
- Off throttle differential 100% to 85%. The front tyres last longer when the car turns in by itself.
- Brake pressure 85% to 82%. A heavy car locks its fronts more easily into the first chicane.
- Fuel. The 10 kg is a time trial number. In a race the game sets the load for the distance.
On a pad, I would go to brake pressure around 80%, the on throttle differential at 55% and the rear wing at 4.
F1 2019 has manual ERS modes. Monza is the track where the slipstream and the battery decide everything. Spend it on the main straight and on the run to Ascari. Save through the Lesmo corners. You pass into the first chicane and into the Roggia.
Where the lap time is at Monza
- The Rettifilo, turns 1 and 2. The hardest stop of the lap. Brake in a straight line, use the kerb on the right, then the one on the left, and be early on the throttle.
- Curva Grande. Flat. Let the car run wide on the exit and set up on the left for the Roggia.
- The Roggia, turns 4 and 5. Left, right. Take the first kerb and stay off the high part of the second.
- Lesmo 1. Faster than it looks. A short brake, turn in and trust the grip.
- Lesmo 2. Tighter than it looks. Brake a little more than you think. The exit starts the long run down to Ascari.
- Ascari. Left, right, left. A short brake for the first part, then go to the throttle and stay on it. Use all the road on the exit.
- The Parabolica. Brake late, turn in, and go back to the throttle before the apex. The corner opens and the car goes with it.
If you take one thing from this page: brake a little earlier for the chicanes than you want to. A missed chicane is a lap gone, and a good exit pays you back all the way down the next straight.
Monza in 2019
The 2019 Italian Grand Prix was round 14 of 21, on 8 September, over 53 laps. Charles Leclerc took pole position in 1:19.307.
Qualifying ended in a strange way. After a red flag in Q3, nobody wanted to be the first car out and give a slipstream to the others. They left the pits with two minutes to go, drove slowly in a group, and only Leclerc and Carlos Sainz reached the line in time to start a last lap.
Leclerc won the race, one week after his first win at Spa. It was Ferrari's first win at Monza since Fernando Alonso in 2010. Valtteri Bottas was second and Lewis Hamilton third. Hamilton set the fastest lap, a 1:21.779 on lap 51.
More F1 2019 setups
All the tracks are on the F1 2019 setups page. Monza is round 14. The round before it is the F1 2019 Spa setup and the next one is the F1 2019 Singapore setup.
For the same track in other games, here are my F1 2018 Monza setup, my F1 2020 Monza setup and my F1 25 Monza setup. The values do not carry over from one game to the next.
FAQ
What is the best F1 2019 setup for Monza?
Front wing 1, rear wing 3, differential 65% on throttle and 100% off, suspension 1 and 1, anti-roll bars 6 and 8, ride height 2 and 3, brake pressure 85% with 56% front bias, and tyres at 21.8 and 20.3 psi.
What wing levels should I run at Monza in F1 2019?
1 at the front and 3 at the rear for time trial. For a race I would run 4 at the rear for the Parabolica.
Can I use this Monza setup in a race?
Yes, with small changes. Rear wing to 4, off throttle differential to 85% and brake pressure to 82%.
Does this setup work with a controller?
Yes. I would lower the brake pressure to around 80%, open the on throttle differential to 55% and run the rear wing at 4.
Why is the off throttle differential at 100%?
For stability under braking. With almost no rear wing the rear is light in the big stops, and a locked differential keeps it straight.
Where can I overtake at Monza in F1 2019?
Into the first chicane at the end of the main straight, with DRS and the slipstream. The Roggia chicane is the second place.
How long is Monza in F1 2019?
5.793 km with 11 corners. The real race is 53 laps.